Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-10-30


know. / felt like land-lubber all
alone at sea. II went into the dining
ropm and tried the effect OF n couple of
glasses Of port | think did the best
thing under the circumstances.
Presently, feeling stronger, re-en-
tered the library, and seeing Sir Giles
alone on the lawn, went out to him.
We were glad TO see each other again,
and | had a number of questions to
ask him. ] was afraid of a pause in
our conversntion-Afraid to allow him
an opportunity OF selecting subject
on which TO state his ideas. My efforts
at steering the talk were for time suc-
cessful, but at last; apTOpos Of no.
thing, Sir Giles said, in n significant
tone:
$50 you have got housekeeper. it
seems, at last"
eyes; have you seen herr"
"Ob, yes. How does she snit ?"
"Fairly well. Certain defects are
inherent in the sex, you know. Her
virtues, however, are her own, |
fancy"
"To be sure. Glad to find you in
such a judicial state of mind. She is
worth studying closely, ch-eh ? You
ely scamp"
Had Sir Giles been on the stage,
questionless he would have digged his
thumb and finger into my ribs, as gen.
tlemen doom the stage. As it was, he
dug me simply with his glances.
was not going to let Sir Giles know
everything, so L said: "She is not so
ugly nor so old as she will be twenty
years hence, but"
"You thought you could tolerate
youth and beauty, other things being
equal How kind is virtue Don't
you think, Strong-i'.th' arm, she dresses
a little bit-just shade, too-too de-
murely for her position?
| could have kicked him, the friend
Of my life, much as l loved him. could
have kicked him. Instead Of playing
the vicious, however, thought it wiser,
being more true to nature, to play the
stupid, and take him minus his sar-
casm.
"No, don't know that / do. Black
and white rs a general thing looks very
neat and genteel. shouldn't be sur
prised, though, if she were to don
little brighter color this summer /
think / should prefer it, you know"
Sir Giles looked at me with an odd
expression of countenance, which l
could not understand.
He laughed lightly and said: "Of
course. And she has got really fine
figure, too. Taken all in all, she ought
to make some good running. No doubt
she WILL" he added, in tone which |
refused to understand.
BY and by Sir Giles took his leave,
and l looked forward, with mingled
feelings, to my next interview with my
housekeeper, to whom | sent word that
/ should like to see her at her conve-
nience. Much / wondered would she
change her costume before presenting
helself. / rather hoped not. But if
not, which Of the two would look the
sillitr? Nay, l knew Christine Cam
pion would not look silly under any
circumstances but | was not sure of
myself. l grew quite nervous as | sat
smoking a cigar in the library, waiting
for her coming. After awhile there
came a soft tap-tap at the door. /
knew the knock, and my heart was in
my month. sprang to an open book
case, and, busying myself with the
books, called out family: "Come in,
please"
She came in.
did not look at her, but standing on
tiptoe and stretching up to reach the
highest shelf / said:
Mrs. Campion, [ shall want break
fast early in the morning. am leay-
ing by the $50 express.
"Shall You return tomorrow. sir 3"
Involuntary / turned and looked at
her, and the surprise L had thought to
simulate was terribly real. She was
dressed as / had seen her on the lawn,
only she carried her hat in her hand
instead of ON her head. She was not
more than four feet from me, and the
most delicate of perfumes assailed me,
like the soft odor of some rare growth.
And, in sooth. what was she but a
sweet-smelling flower all alive
I suppose l stared at her, for the
color came into her checks then she
gave little toss of her shapely head
and said " What is it, sir ?"
ooh, nothing, nothing only l
should scarcely have recognized you at
a distance"
Indeed, sir? Did you not recog-
nize me on the lawn, then?"
She had seen me then, it seemed ;
one never knows what a woman sees,
and what she does not see.
ono; L had to examine the lady with
my field glass in order to identify her. "
"Was she altered SO very much,
sir?"
"She had few hairs that were turn
ing gray, originally"
81 think, sir. you must have been
mistaken. She has done nothing to
her hair but give it a good brushing.
Though fancy she may have powdered
it little. sir, until to-day.
"Oh, / see. Then, she dressed her
hair with grave modesty over her tenn
pies, with a quaint protuberance, or
swelling curve on either side, and wore
two small tortoise shell combs, after
the comely fashion of an elder genera
| ton"
Whereupon Christine Campion
laughed in her light, melodious way,
and answered softly " But she did not
promise always to wear them, sir. If
she had worn false teeth, or glass eye,
or any ornament Of false beauty-then-
perhaps"
but where there is no temptation
how can there be much virtue? Doubt
less she knew-no one better-that
there was no need of any mock beauty.
Besides, after all, / really engaged a
housekeeper, and not lady of fashion, y
1 said, and l thought my voice had in it
a clearer note of sarcasm than | had in
tended, and for the same | was sorry.
As who would not have been had he
seen the painful flush that dyed her
face and throat?
"Have L not pleased you, sir, as O
housekeeper ?" she said, with the faint
est tremor audible in her voice.
This sudden dropping of the very
convenient third person had in it q
sharp thrust OF pathos. l remembered
that 1 thought she was worth hei
weight in gold that 1 was prepared to
offer her almost any inducement, il
need be, rather than lose her. Thought
of the waspish Colonel on board the
| Nimrnd. / reflected that. after all shf